Man Stages Wii Fit Experiment to Lose Weight, Gain Fame
by Joshua Topolsky, posted May 2nd 2008 at 1:27PM
Posts with tag wii
Diane Sawyer and the 'Good Morning America' Crew Ski On the Wii
by Terrence O'Brien, posted Apr 18th 2008 at 2:50PM
Diane Sawyer and her companions on 'Good Morning America' got their hands (well, feet) on the hotly anticipated Wii Fit, due out May 19. The $90 package comes with a balance board used to track your weight and play a number of physically involved mini-games that test your balance, coordination, and get your heart rate up... in theory.
Despite reports of people testing the Wii Fit and losing weight with it, Diane Sawyer's performance on the balance board isn't convincing us that this is the answer to America's obesity problem. No one in this video is breaking a sweat, unless it's from the discomfort of looking like an idiot on national television. [Source: GeekSugar]
Obama, Hillary, and Tom Selleck Make List of Top Wii Mii Faces
by Evan Shamoon, posted Apr 18th 2008 at 10:10AM
With its relatively simple, intuitive tools, the Nintendo Wii's create-an-avatar feature has been a hit, spawning countless spoofs and homages, including our personal favorite, The Mii Lebowski.
Now the fine slobs over at Slobs of Gaming have compiled a Mii "Best of" list, which includes Nintendo-fied renditions of such celebrities as Tom Selleck, one of the 'Star Wars' Storm Troopers, and Jesus H. Christ.
They're all pretty spot-on, except for Barack Obama, who looks more like Bryant Gumbel.
Welcome to 2008, where the Mii face is the new O face. [Source: Slobs of Gaming]
Picking Apart the First Documented Case of "Wiiitis"
We've all heard of sports related injuries, but until recently, there was no such thing as a 'Wii-Sports'-related injury. Now, in the June 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Julio Bonis first coined the term Wii-itis, and now it has been investigated by a team at the Mayo Clinic. In an article in this May's issue of 'Skeletal Radiology,' doctors diagnosed a 22-year-old boy with the condition, which they defined as soreness and inflammation caused by too much Wii Bowling, which is one of the games on 'Wii-Sports.' The abstract states that an MRI scan revealed:
"marked T2-weighted signal abnormality within several muscles of the shoulder and upper arm, without evidence of macroscopic partial- or full-thickness tearing of the muscle or of intramuscular hematoma."
Now, this sounds really scary to the layman, and the first time we read it, we didn't understand what was going on. But dug a little deeper and translated that statement into: No serious muscle tears, or internal bleeding (hematoma), and the t-2 signals are an indication of the little tears in the muscle that cause soreness. So, basically, don't swear off Wii-playing playing yet, because this first documented case of wii-itis is a 22-year-old with a sore shoulder. The article goes on to suggest that the cause of this soreness may be:
"[L]ittle resistance is offered by the light 200 g handheld controller to the aggressive maneuvers made by the participant, which may lead to awkward deceleration forces being applied to the upper extremity.... It is likely that, during the deceleration phase of swinging the Wii controller, there is significant eccentric loading on the participant's muscle groups, causing the ultrastructural damage, as demonstrated in this case."
The doctors think that the controller's light weight is the cause of the muscle strain, but can you imagine playing the Nintendo Wii if the controller were properly weighted for a bowling ball or baseball bat? That would really cause some damage.
It should also be noted that ultrastructural damage is usually due to stress from exercise, and is the cause of the soreness you feel a day or so after working out, so the Wii-related injuries are about as serious as that.
Nevertheless you can expect some new warnings on your Wii system in the future probably telling you to stretch out your shoulder before gaming. We can't wait.
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Video Game Sales Up Despite Struggling Economy
February's sales reports are particularly good for Sony whose PlayStation 3, though still trailing the Wii in sales, beat out the Xbox 360 for the second month in a row.
With several big name titles still to come this year, such as the highly anticipated 'Grand Theft Auto 4,' sales are only expected to increase. 2008 is shaping up to be yet another record breaking year for the video game industry.
From Reuters
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Cigarette Smoke Causes Nintendo Wii to Malfunction
As if there weren't enough risks related to smoking cigarettes, it is now being reported that prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke can cause serious damage...to your Nintendo Wii (product page). Essentially, the smoke damages the laser that reads Wii game discs.
Heightened international attention to the issue has coincided with the release of 'Super Smash Bros Brawl,' the latest installment of the Mario Bros franchise. The new game, which was released in the United States on Sunday, contains so much data that it had to be produced on a double-layer DVD. This amount of data requires significantly higher levels of accuracy from the internal laser that helps "play" the disc, and thus amplifies any deficiencies inherent within the system. Apparently, second-hand smoke can seep into the Wii itself and leave residue or other contamination on the laser's lens, thus interfering with the ability of the console to run a game.
If you find yourself unable to host Wii parties due to this issue, rest assure: Nintendo has promised to fix the problem for you. Simply ship the product back -- for free -- to the company. For more information, go to Nintendo's Web site.
From BostonHerald
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Activision Offers 'Guitar Hero III' Refunds for Wii Owners
The 'Guitar Hero' franchise has swept the gaming world by storm, taking what could have been just a nerdy interpretation of axe wielding and turning it into the de-facto party game of 2006 and most of 2007. 'Rock Band' has, of late, been stealing a little of 'Hero's' fanfare, but if you're on the Wii 'Guitar Hero III' is your only option for rocking out. Now, though, publisher Activision is offering refunds for anyone who purchased the Wii version of the game and wishes to return it.
Why? Because the game was advertised as offering Dolby Surround Sound output, as well as at least stereo. However, not long after release, it was determined that the Wii version for some inexplicable reason offered only mono output. Mono's no good for a game that's meant to let you rock out.
Last month Activision finally launched a disc replacement program, but now, they're stepping that up another notch, letting you just get a full refund on the game in case you've been so offended by the company's single-channel antics that you couldn't bear to strum your plastic guitar again. If you're looking to get your money back, click here to head over to Activision's Wii Refund page and begin what will surely be a long and arduous rebate-like process.
From Joystiq
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New Controller Gets Rid of the Unsightly Sensor Bar On Your TV
The Wiimote (and the little console it wirelessly connects to) has taken the world by storm. It's surprising, then, that more competitors haven't come out with their own interpretation's of Nintendo's novelty. Sony, of course, threw a little motion sensitivity into its PlayStation 3 controller, but that's really been about it. Now, however, PC accessory maker Motus is in the planning stages of launching its own little and white motion-sensing device that itll call the Darwin. We're not quite sure the evolved name is appropriate, though, at least not based on the Darwin specs.
The Darwin looks quite a bit like the Wiimote, is roughly the same size and offers a similar button placement. It is, however, rounder in shape, like the hilt on a Samurai sword. So, presumably, it should be a little more comfortable, and with no sensor bar (that unsightly contraption you have to put on your TV) required, the Darwin shouldn't require that you point it at the screen to enable it to tell where it's indicating. This device will use an internal gyroscope instead of the IR sensors used by the Wii, potentially enabling it to always know which direction it is pointing.
While that does sound more advanced, the planned price of $79 - $99 puts it at twice that of Nintendo's offering. Likewise, while Nintendo has already pushed millions and millions of their Wiimotes, Motus won't make the available until sometime next year.
Yes, next year. '2008' is still looking a little fresh, so expect it to be a long, long wait.
From Engadget and Technology Review
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Geriatric Wii Tournament Crowns 84 Year-Old Winner
Don't look now, but it appears that even the AARP digs the Nintendo Wii gaming console. Want proof? TG Daily reports that a Washington, D.C.-area retirement community recently held a Wii bowling tournament that culminated in a matchup between 79-year-old real bowling champion and an 84-year-old Wii-prodigy challenger. Nancy Davies beat Hal Winters 202 to 182 at the Riderwood Retirement Community in one of many Wii tournaments held at the geriatric complex. While Winters is an actual bowling expert, Davies only began bowling only a year ago, exclusively on the Wii, which makes the upset so shocking.
Since several Wii units were received last March, the plaid-loving residents have flocked to play and challenge each other in shooting and hockey games in addition to bowling free-for-alls. This item of news marks the unique marketability of the Wii toward demographics heretofore unresponsive to the gaming world, groups including the elderly, female and middle-aged populations. Now if we can just get Grandma to talk trash we'll be getting somewhere...
From Engadget Via TG Daily and Examiner.com
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Collapsible Sensor Bar Makes Your Wii More Portable
Nintendo's Wii is one of those video game consoles that you definitely want to take with you when you go to a party at a friend's house -- assuming of course they don't already have one of their own. And, given the size of the little white box, the Wii seems like it would be the perfect thing to throw in a bag and take a long. However, that long and fragile looking sensor bar stuck to the top of your TV with double-sided tape doesn't exactly lend itself to easy portability. Enter the Sensor Wiire, a third-party accessory that replaces the stock sensor bar with something that's a lot easier to take along. Instead of a solid bar, the Sensor Wire has two small boxes that clip together. Held end-to-end they are about the size of a pack of gum, and combined with a retractable cord, the whole package hardly takes up any room at all.
It uses a similar design found in many wired portable mice, with a small spring-loaded wheel winding the cable up to keep things neat while traveling. However, that wheel leads to the one and only drawback of the thing -- it's not long enough. The sensor wire is only two feet long, very short compared to the ten feet of wire attached to the stock sensor bar. That's not enough to even reach the top of most HDTVs.
So, while you're a little restricted in how you setup your Wii when using this, installation is otherwise a breeze. Just plug it into the same stock bar port on the back of your Wii, extend the cable, set the sensors down in front of the television, and you're ready to play. It works well. For those who are constantly taking their Wiis on-the-go and would rather avoid tangle-prone cords, the Sensor Bar may be a worthwhile purchase, but everyone else will find the two-feet of cable somewhat useless and certainly no replacement for the stock bar.
Gallery: Wii Sensor Wiire
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Playing Wii is Not Exercise, Say Scientists
On the plus side the researchers did say these extra calories could help to contribute to weight management, but still suggested kids get out and join little league.
From the BBC
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Toyota and Nintendo Team Up for "Elderly-Friendly" Car
The older people get, the harder it is to drive -- reflexes slow, eyesight goes, and one's level of awareness drops as the years pass. These unfortunate realities of aging can make driving a potentially lethal proposition for those getting on in years (not to mention the drivers around them).
Governments, however, are not about to start confiscating drivers licenses when people are old enough to collect social security, so the challenge becomes how to minimize the danger involved with putting those in their golden years on the road.
Toyota is teaming up with Professor Ryuta Kawashima, who worked for Nintendo to develop the DS hit 'Brain Training,' which uses simple and fun puzzles to sharpen the mind and tell you how old your brain is. Toyota and Dr. Kawashima are working on a system that will monitor the moves of aging drivers and help them avoid dangerous behaviors. The ideas currently on the drawing board are an automatic braking system that can curb unnecessary accelerating, a navigation system (duh) and climate controls that will help keep the driver alert and comfortable.
"Ultimately, we hope to develop cars that stimulate brain activity so that driving itself becomes a form of brain training," Dr. Kawashima says. Toyota and the professor hope to have a basic form of the system ready for deployment within five years. Toyota's system isn't the only game in town, though, that is looking to save some lives by keeping drivers alert, Nissan has been working on its Intelligent Transportation System for some time now.
Nintendo has cornered the market on electronics marketed to the elderly at this point. 'Brain Training' and the 'Brain Age' series on the handheld DS and 'Wii Sports' and 'Wii Fitness' have also proven to be huge hits with older consumers looking to dull the effects of aging.
From Daily Mail
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Breaking: Nintendo To Offer Wii 'Rainchecks' for Out-of-Stock Consoles
The program, announced by Fils-Aime on a conference call with Switched.com and others in the gaming press, will be offered via Gamestop retailers on December 20 and 21. If the store is out of stock, you can buy a "rain check" for a Nintendo Wii that you are guaranteed to get in the month of January. You will have to pay for the rain check in full at $249 and pick up the Wii by January 29.
So, even if you can't get the actual Wii on Christmas, maybe you'll get a little piece of paper that says you'll get one some time in January.
Also, Fils-Aime promised that "six major retailers" will have Wiis this weekend, so... good luck!
Greenpeace Trying to Clean up the Gaming Industry
Greenpeace says that console makers are lagging far behind PC and cell phone makers in the race to clean up their operations. The organization released a 90-second video featuring the stars of the big three -- Microsoft's Master Chief (from Halo), Nintendo's Mario, and Sony's Kratos (From God of War) -- competing to become the greenest console.
Greenpeace wasn't clear about what exactly it expected gamers to do, but we imagine letter writing and a YouTube video campaign could garner some level of success. So get to it, gamers. We already get lead poisoning from our children's toys -- lets keep it out of our PlayStations.
From the BBC
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Lines Grow at Nintendo World for Wii
In a happening that can only be described as some sort of bizarro throwback to the holiday season last year, hundreds of shoppers in NYC have lined up outside of Nintendo's flagship Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Center. Over two hundred were queued as of last night, all hoping to score themselves one of the company's hot Wii consoles this morning.If you haven't already bought your special someone (or yourself) a Wii for this holiday season, you have one of two options: get your lazy butt in line like the poor souls standing in the cold in NY, or go pay up on eBay like everybody else. We warned last month of this continued shortage, and back then eBay prices were around $350 -- about $100 over retail. Now Wii systems are fetching in the $400-$450 range, an amazing premium for a year-old system.
From wcbs880.com
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